Cape Coral Foreclosures
After the Auction

If you made the winning bid at the Cape Coral foreclosure auction for a property in Lee County, Florida there’s not much time that day for self-congratulations – you have work to do.

First and foremost is to get payment in full to the clerk.

At the conclusion of the auction, you will need to sign paperwork and verify that they have your name correct for the title. At that time, confirm with the clerk exactly when and where you need to return that day with your cash or certified funds for payment in full of the balance due on your property. Also ask about what other fees you need to pay before getting your title.

Specifcally, when you pay the balance of the purchase price, you will also need to pay the Registry fees on the total amount of the bid. This fee is 3% of the first $500 and 1.5% of each subsequent $100.

In addition, you need to pay the Florida Documenatary Stamp Tax (aka "doc stamps) in the amount of $0.70 cents per 100 dollars of the purchase price. You can pay this to the Lee County Clerk of Courts at the same time as you pay for the property and the registry fees. In the past, however, they did not volunteer information about this fee. Unfortunately, failure to pay doc stamps will stop the issuance of your Certificate of Title.

At the time you make your payment, I suggest you ask the clerk if there are any fees or other issues that could delay your title. While they cannot give you legal advice, they are a great source of information.

The Certificate of Title is issued approximately 11 days after all necessary payments are made. If you don’t get your title, you need to follow up. There is no notice or reminder.

The content of these pages is provided for informational purposes only and represents my personal view and experience on the subject of the Cape Coral foreclosure process. It is not offered as, nor should it be taken as, professional advice. Seek professional legal and financial counsel before making any investment decisions.

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